MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - Making your Trophy 160 sing

i have just purchased a Blue Trophy 160. it has a genuine 49,000 miles, with history.. It needs some fettling, but runs without fault, the 130 mile journey home tells me that, i wont say how fast i went, or where, but i sense my Freestyle would have been close on its heals, and that has only 120 BHP.
i understand that the key to the Trophy's 160 BHP, is the airflow improvements, so, sorting that - ie making sure that is as it should be, is my first undertaking... anything , any advice, from those who know, will be of value to me...
I now have two MGF's...
N.J. Simon

pics.

N.J. Simon

i sense i could check the cam is set up properly... i have no reason this moment to suspect it isnt.. but hey.. one sunny day soon ( if we get any ) i might feel inclined to go this road... http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/engines/tuning/cam_timing.htm
N.J. Simon

Can I interest Sir in a slightly higher ride height..? Yes the Trophy has a lower ride height than the standard F, but only by 20mm - yours looks to be not far off its bump stops, and apart from not giving you the legendary Trophy suppleness will also see you getting through tyres at an unwelcome rate.

The induction path of the 160 engine is not worth messing with, the OE airbox even with a paper filter is as good as any aftermarket kit - the King Cone rolling road test showed that most kits actually reduced power, the ITG & Viper kits give IIRC 1bhp increase @£250 odd. The exhaust is perhaps worth looking at, various exhausts were fitted in the Trophy run and I think you have the oval tailpiped slightly larger bore version which doesn't seem to perform as well as the round tailpipe version that some cars had. And even with only 49k miles it may have lost some of its flow capability, plus it'll be rusting so I'd put that at the top of the shopping list. The Phoenix exhaust is IMHO the best option, made to order so costs rather more than some of the off-the-shelf options but sounds good and usually tops the field on a rolling road test.

The difference between the 160 and 120 engines is hard to detect until revs are north of 3.5k, and only obvious when north of 4.5k, when the variable valve timing lets the better valve profiles do their stuff. But you are right to be interested in whether imperfect cam timing could be holding back some of the extra horses, I've seen 10bhp gained after fitting vernier pulleys. But before getting too carried away with the shopping list, the basics like spark plugs are not to be overlooked, the 160 engine seems to be more sensitive to plug condition than the lower output K engines so I change mine every 10,000 miles or 2 years and any slight roughness on idle usally vanishes again.
bandit

Stunning colour NJ!
Sam Murray

ty, bandit and Sam,My BRG Freestyle, is on song, it just goes when i want it to, right to cut out revs in third gear.. just exceptional, ive reached the cut out often.. without concentration - just foot on the pedal..:) i.e i had not seen the rev counter, since the engine was still pulling hard when it reached the cut out..

Maybe i was being cautious - bandit, but my feeling was , on my return trip from the purchase, of the 160, that it was " off edge" and was not giving me all it could..

i could be wrong..

perhaps my freestyle is in peak. and my trophy isnt..

my freestyle, hasnt had a plug or airfilter change since i bought it at 52,800, now its done 66,000 since October 2011.. when i bought it.. though i did the cambelt, oil, waterpump and fluid change at 56,000
...

if it aint broke, dont fix it, is my adage.. the freestyle has not discredited that yet... i just sense in comparison, there is something not 100 percent in the trophy...ie, the freestyle is singing.. the trophy isnt.. even though if you had not driven the freestyle, only the trophy, you would think the trophy was the bee's knees.. the freestyle would catch you..


N.J. Simon

the freestyle i have, touches 220 km , 135 mph.. i see that on the speedo.
N.J. Simon

i need an opportunity to see if the trophy is feeling better, (top speed) but certainly i think lack of regular use is not good for high strung engines :)
The trophy i have has only done 9000 odd miles since 2008, but today i had the opportunity to floor in third gear, and certainly the cut off at max revs was reached sooner, i know that, because i was not expecting it so soon.. laughs :) so i sense either its me , or the car that is felling better, or both..

Something i have noticed is how unforgiving the Trophy suspension is.. i feel every bump in the road.. ( unlike my Freestyle) its like i am back in my triumph herald again...
N.J. Simon

Well i now know why the suspension is do hard, and Bandit you are correct, it needs regassing... :)
N.J. Simon

Ok. i am a very happy chappy today, since my Trophy is through its MOT. I need to look at the ride height Saturday - tomorrow, to see if the regassing is correct.. given the specs.. 358 +- 10 mm front 353 +- 10mm rear, and that with ( as the Freestyle) BF Goodrich Profiler 215/40 16 tyres all 4 same pressure @35 PSI , but, i also need to feel the car first.. and by that i mean see how i feel about it.. take it for a drive, not least because my Freestyle is still on song.. absolutely as i want it... specifically the handling.. which right up to the limiter cut out, in all weathers ( today we had 70 mph winds and storm rain) still impresses me with its perfection and response. The Trophy has a hard competitor to beat.. and until it does, my Freestyle, - Less BHP, same looks, is king..
N.J. Simon

This thread was discussed between 13/05/2012 and 08/06/2012

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGF Technical BBS now